Folding disposable toothbrush rack



1960 f: M. 'v. JENKINS 2,957,584

FOLDING, DISPOSABLE TOOTHBRUSH RACK Filed Jan. 8, 1958 INVENTOR.

WILCONr M TEN/(INS ATTORNEY United States. Patent FOLDING DISPOSABLE TOOTHBRUSH RACK Malcolm V. Jenkins, Fort Pierce, Fla.

Filed Jan. 8, 1958, Ser. No. 707,808

Claims. (Cl. 211-65) My invention relates to a folding collapsible toothbrush rack which provides an inexpensive, convenient, sanitary, disposable holder for articles such as a toothbrush and a cake of soap.

Many travelers must accept accommodations having no private bath provided with a toothbrush holder, soap dish and the like. Other travelers may not choose to use the holder provided, desiring a sanitary holder reserved for their personal use. It is desirable that a holder or rack be provided which may be carried about by a person on his travels. The holder should be collapsible so that it may be stored in a small space. It should be readily disposable after use so that a fresh, sanitary holder may be used on the next occasion. Consistent with these requirements, the holder should be simple in construction and inexpensive to produce so that it may be disposed of without appreciable cost to the user.

I have invented a collapsible, disposable toothbrush rack for holding personal articles such as a toothbrush and a cake of soap. My rack may be collapsed and stored in a very small space. It is inexpensive in construction so that it may readily be disposed of without substantial cost to the user. My holder is sanitary and may be folded and reused a number of times before being disposed of.

One object of my invention is to' provide a collapsible, disposable toothbrush rack for holding personal toilet articles such as a toothbrush and a bar of soap.

Another object of my invention is to provide a collapsible, disposable toothbrush rack which is inexpensive.

A further object of my invention is to provide a collapsible, disposable toothbrush rack which affords a sanitary storage holder for articles such as a toothbrush and a cake of soap.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a collapsible, disposable toothbrush rack which may be folded to permit its storage in a small space.

Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following description:

In general my invention contemplates the provision of a collapsible, disposable toothbrush rack formed from a blank of paper tag stock scored along a line to define a back and a base. I score the back along lines to form a pair of wings and score the base to form base supports connected to the wings and to form a pair of base support positioners. I bend the base along the line separating the back and the base to a position in which the base extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the back. I fold the base support positioners under the base to move the base supports under the base. In the course of this operation the wings fold inboard of the back to hold the base supports to the back. I then fold the forward edge of the base under the base to retain the base support positioners in the position in which they have been folded. In this condition of my rack a weight placed on the base creates forces which are transmitted to the back through the medium of the base supports and wings. I provide my rack with means for adhering the back to a wall or the like on which the rack is to be mounted.

In the accompanying drawings which form part of the instant specification and which are to be read in con junction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:

Figure l is a plan view of a blank showing the scoring lines along which the blank is folded to form our collapsible, disposable toothbrush rack.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my collapsible, d sposable toothbrush rack showing the rack folded to its operative condition.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of my collapsible, disposable toothbrush rack viewed from below the rack.

More particularly referring now to the drawings, I form my rack from a blank indicated generally by the reference character 10 of any suitable material such, for example, as paper tag stock having a thickness of from about 0.020 to 0.022 inch die cut to form the blank 10 to its proper shape. I score the underside of the blank 10 as viewed in Figure 1 along the line 12 to divide the blank into a back 14 and a base 16. A pair of scored lines 18 and 20 in the underside of blank 10 as viewed in Figure 1 form a pair of wings 22 and 24 along the sides of the back 14. Respective scored lines 26 and 28 extend diagonally from the edges of the blank to the respective points at which lines 18 and 20 meet the line 12 to form respective base supports 30 and 3-2. The scored folding lines 12, 18, 20, 26 and 28 may be formed in the underside of the blank 10 as viewed in Figure l by any suitable means such as a paper die.

A pair of scored lines 34 and 36 cut in the upper surface of blank 10 as viewed in Figure I extend substantially perpendicularly from the lower edge of the blank to the respective points at which lines 18 and 20 meet folding line 12 to form respective base support positioners 38 and 40. A folding line 42 cut in the upper surface of the blank extends from side to side of the blank adjacent the lower edge thereof to form a retainer 44 for the base support positioners 38 and 40. It is to be understood that the lines 34, 36, and 42 may be formed by any convenient means such as a paper die similar to that employed to form lines 12, 18, 20, and 28 in the undersurface of the blank.

In folding my rack to the operative position shown in Figures 2 and 3 from its blank form shown in Figure 1, I first fold base 16 upwardly out of the paper as viewed in Figure 1 toward the back 14 until the plane of the base 16 is substantially perpendicular to the plane of back 14. Next I fold the base support positioners 38 and 44 under the base to the position shown in Figure 3. In the course of this operation wings 22 and 24 fold along the lines 18 and 20 in a direction out of the paper as viewed in Figure 1 to extend substantially perpendicularly from the back 14. At the same time the triangular base supports 30 and 32 fold under the support positioners 38 and 40 as is shown in Figure 3. To complete my rack I fold the retainer 44 into the paper as viewed in Figure 1 along the scored line 42 to a position at which it depends substantially perpendicularly from the base 16. In the course of this operation the outer edges of the positioners forming part of the retainer 44 also are folded downwardly from the base to hold the positioners 38 and 40 against the base to cause the member 44 including the outer edges of the positioners 38 and 40 to retain the supports 30 and 32 in a position at which they support the base. It will be appreciated that a load applied to the upper surface of the base of my rack as viewed in Figures 2 and 3 is translated to the back by the supports 30 and 32 and the wings 22 and 24.

In cutting the blank 10 to shape I also punch a hole 46 in the blank to permit water to drain from a bar of soap placed on base 16. I have indicated such a bar of soap 48 in phantom in Figure 1. Also in the course of stamping out the blank 10, I cut the blank to form a number of slugs 50 which may readily be pushed out of the base 16 to provide openings for receiving the handles of toothbrushes such as the brush 52 shown in Figure 2. In the formation of my rack I leave the slugs 50 in the base until one of the slug openings is to be used to hold a toothbrush. Thus, a person using the rack may readily determine whether one of the openings formed by a slug 50 has already been used. I secure a length 54 of a pressure sensitive tape to the rear of back 14 by any suitable means such as glue. I provide tape 54 with a covering formed by a pair of paper strips 56 and 58 which may readily be removed from the tape.

In use of my folding, collapsible toothbrush rack, the user folds the blank in the manner described hereinabove to the form shown in Figure 2. In this form my rack is adapted to support personal articles such as toothbrushes and a bar of soap. The user may mount our rack on any convenient surface by stripping away the paper strips 56 and 58 and then pressing the surface of tape 54 against the Wall or the like which is to support the rack. After the rack has been mounted on a support wall, the handle of a toothbrush or the like may be pushed through the opening carrying a slug 50 to push out the slug. The rack supports the toothbrush by its head in the usual manner. A bar of soap or the like may be placed on the base 16 in the area around drain hole 46. After use the rack may be collapsed and reused or if desired it may be disposed of by depositing it in a trash basket or the like.

It will be seen that I have accomplished the objects of my invention. I have provided a folding, collapsible toothbrush rack which may be folded so as to be stored in a small space. My rack provides a sanitary holder for articles such as toothbrushes. It may be disposed of after use without substantial cost to the user. My rack is inexpensive.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of my claims. It is further obvious that various changes may be made in details within the scope of my claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is therefore to be understood that my invention is not limited to the specific details shown and described, I

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A collapsible disposable toothbrush rack including in combination a base, a back, means connecting said base to said back for movement to an operative position in which said base extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to said back, a pair of wings connected to said back, a pair of base supports respectively connected to said wings and a pair of base support positioners carried by said base and connected respectively to said base supports, said base support positioners adapted to move under said base to position said base supports under said base and to move said Wings to positions in which they extend substantially perpendicularly from said base.

2. A collapsible disposable toothbrush rack as in claim 1 in which said rack is formed from an integral piece of paper tag stock.

3. A collapsible disposable toothbrush rack as in claim 1 in which said base includes a plurality of readily removable slugs disposed in openings adapted to receive toothbrush handles.

4. A collapsible disposable toothbrush rack as in claim 1 in which said base forms a drain hole.

5. A collapsible disposable toothbrush rack including in combination a base, a back, means connecting said base to said back for movement to an operative position in which said base extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to said back, a pair of wings carried by said back, a pair of base supports connected respectively to said wings, a pair of base support positioners carried by said base and connected respectively to said base supports, said base support positioners being adapted to be moved under said base to position the base supports under said base and to move said wings to positions at which they extend substantially perpendicularly from said back and a retainer for said base support positioners carried by said base, said retainer including respective portions of said positioners and being adapted to be moved with respect to said base to retain said positioners under said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 435,173 Forbes Aug. 26, 1890 1,723,944 March Aug. 6, 1929 1,972,532 McMillan Sept. 4, 1934 2,324,232 Pantalone July 13, 1943 2,340,521 Engert Feb. 1, 1944 2,360,014 Ressinger Oct. 10, 1944 2,748,927 Crane June 5, 1956 

